Mum · Rhona Burslem
Which musicians or bands have you most liked seeing live?
I regard my musical tastes as being fairly eclectic, so this could be a fairly wide ranging answer. As a student in London we were always on the lookout for live music, often in pubs. One in particular I remember was a pub in Brixton where a blues’y jazz pianist singer played - amazing and he went on to big success, darned if I can remember his name………got it!…. Georgie Fame…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuoXzn6O8ZY <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuoXzn6O8ZY> I enjoyed a variety of different jazz styles back then and went to a live performace with the ’Tubby Hayes Quartet' who were popular on the jazz scene back then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubby_Hayes <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubby_Hayes> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPPE3l36KNI <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPPE3l36KNI> A big and much sought after concert that I went to was with Little Richard… I do remember that was a blast! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWm9PQeYtE <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWm9PQeYtE> At the other end of the musical spectrum we loved the regular organ recitals at the Royal Festival Hall - five shillings on a Wednesday afternoon at 5pm - it still gives me the shivers when I hear the Bach Toccata & Fugue in D with all the stops out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY> Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall were a feature of the summer months.
A huge variety and range of classics were featured. We used to queue outside the door to the top gallery and then it was fastest one up all the stairs to the top gallery who got the best viewing position - no seats. We physio students were pretty fit and usually made it up ahead of the rest! I also remember there, not at a prom concert, but seeing Paul Tortellier play an amazing Dvorak Cello Concerto - I have never seen fingers move so fast.
Cut to 3’3” if youwant to imagine flying fingers! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ7wezd1YZU <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ7wezd1YZU> Dad & I have enjoyed many live Gilbert & Sullivan performances over the years both at the D’Oyle Carte Opera at the Savoy Theatre in London and here at various places in Canada. A favourite one was at the Stratford Festival a fabulous production of ‘The Mikado’. Oh, I could go on…. but couldn’t miss out a mention of the massed pipe bands at the HIghland Games in Portland - yes, that IS music!
Nor could I forget Andrea Bocelli In Concert in Vancouver, what an amazing voice pouring out of the depths of somewhere…….and last but not least my one claim to a rock concert,The Rolling Stones - 'Bridges to Babylon' Concert. There was an experience just in the sheer size of the performance. Awesome!